


Deciding Factors

by Rivulet027



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Doctor Who (2005), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Families of Choice, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Handwavy Medical, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, LMD theory, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-24
Updated: 2013-10-24
Packaged: 2017-12-30 07:48:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1016002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivulet027/pseuds/Rivulet027
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Melinda seeks opinions and advice when it comes to her decison to join Phil's team.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Deciding Factors

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Marvel or Doctor Who. Neither is my toy box and I'm merely playing.
> 
> A/N: A dynamap is a medical device that takes vital signs.
> 
> Warning: It is implied in the fic that Phil's grandmother didn't treat him well. Details are not given and it is mentioned as part of the reason that Canton and Gabe became a part of his life. Canton and Gabe are presented as a couple, though Gabe has passed away by the time this fic takes place. The spear in the Avengers and what it did to Phil is mentioned. Details are not graphically described, but that scene is partly described from a medical but also handwavy and somewhat magical standpoint. Rory and Amy Williams are also mentioned very briefly in this fic and it is implied that they adopted Phil.

Deciding Factors:

After Coulson attempts to sell her on the idea of joining his team Melinda sits in indecision for several moments. Then she finds a coworker to finish the packets she was working on and goes to see Phil, not the LMD that Phil is controlling, but the man she’s worked with for years and who doesn’t seem as though he’s going to wake up anytime soon. She’s only been to see him once before, when she’d been brought in to help determine if the neural interface was working and that Phil was himself and not a Chitauri taking advantage of their solution. She’s still waiting for him to question that their weekly lunch has turned into a twice weekly lunch, but he hasn’t.

Melinda forces herself not to pause in the door of Stark Tower, instead she ignores her inner conflict and strides purposely over to the receptionist’s desk and hands over her ID. It doesn’t take her long to get her ID back as well as a visitor’s pass that gives her permission to use the private elevator. The security guard at the elevator watchers her walk over, looks at her ID and visitor’s pass, before glancing past her to the desk she’d just walked away from. He nods at the receptionist, having gotten confirmation, then hands her both the cards back before pressing the elevator button for her. Melinda thanks him as she steps into the elevator.

“Good morning Agent May,” JARVIS greets as the doors close.

“You know why I’m here,” she states.

“Of course.”

A moment later she’s reached the correct floor and JARVIS reminds her which room they’re keeping Phil in. She thanks him and once again forces herself not to hesitate.

The room could be a bedroom if it wasn’t for the medical equipment built into the wall. The dynamap running next to Phil shows steady vitals and she’s not sure she wants to know what’s in his IV. The Chitauri neural interface is attached to the left side of his face and is lit up. It still looks more wrong to her than the medical equipment he’s attached to.

Canton is sitting by Phil’s right side reading by the soft glow of a lamp on the nightstand that she knows holds care supplies and not personals. There is a small desk by the door and she snags the chair behind it so she can sit next to Canton. The bedside lamp is the only light on in the room, which is probably in consideration of the man curled up on the couch on the far side of the room. His eyes have been open since she walked in, but he’s only sits up when Canton’s voice fades.

“Agent Barton,” she greets as she still so he can assess her.

“For crying out loud, go back to your nap,” Canton snaps as he shuts the book in his lap.

“I’ve only been here once,” Melinda attempts to explain.

“Doesn’t mean he has to be paranoid,” Canton grouches.

“Any word on Nat?” Cling asks as he grabs his blanket, which is trying to slide to the floor.

“Not my mission,” she reminds.

“You’d have checked for me, on the chance you’d run into me here,” Clint calls.

Melinda nods and admits, “No word, but check in isn’t for another two hours.”

Clint nods, then smirks at the glare from Canton before he curls up under his blanket again. Canton huffs and raises he eyebrows at her.

“He asked me to join his team,” she tells them as she crosses her arms over her chest. Clint gives her a quick thumbs up and Canton frowns as he turns to take her in.

“You should accept,” Clint puts in, “Watch his back for us.”

She leans back in the chair and shakes her head, “I…he’s still him, there’s no real difference, except he thinks he almost died and I know he’s here unknowingly controlling an LMD though a hacked neural interface.”

“All the more reason to watch his back,” Canton points out.

She frowns at her friend lying so still. She sighs, “Any change on this end?”

Canton frowns down at the book in his lap.

“No,” Clint answers as he sits up again, hugs his knees and rests his chin on top.

She has questions, so many questions, but she’s not sure she’d like the answers so she keeps them buried. She studies Phil’s still form carefully and then asks the one question she can’t ignore, “Are we going to lose him?”

“No,” Canton tells her automatically.

Clint’s silence is enough to confirm her worries until he says, “Not unless there are unforeseen complications. He’s just not waking up and we don’t have any way to get ahold of Thor to see if he might know something.”

Melinda nods.

“He’ll wake up when he’s ready,” Canton puts in.

“You’re putting too much faith in him,” Melinda disagrees, “He’s competent, he always has been, but there’s not medial reason for this. He’s…”

She trails off at a loss for words.

“The doctors think it’s something to do with the spear,” Clint finishes for her.

“I read the reports,” she states. She doesn’t want to think about the reports. The way bone was easily sliced through, the way things were cauterized. The science behind it doesn’t make sense. She’s yet to meet anyone who can explain it to her in a satisfactory manner.

“I can’t watch him die,” Canton sighs, “I may be an old man, but that shouldn’t mean I have to outlive everyone I care about.”

“It’s difficult,” Melinda agrees.

“I’m selfish,” Canton goes on, “He’s not allowed to die.”

Melinda nods and gives him a hint of a smile to let him know she understands.

“You have me,” Clint points out, “and there are a lot of people at SHIELD that care about you.”

“I’m FBI,” Canton grouches.

“You married in,” Clint counters.

“Face it,” Melinda supports, “You did.”

Their words cause a small smile to tug at Canton’s lips before he gives a world weary shake of his head, “We wanted to be, got kicked out of the FBI for wanting it enough times that they told me to quit asking. You shouldn’t have to go to another country just to get a piece of paper saying you love someone enough that you want to spend the rest of your life with them.”

“You were,” Melinda tells him.

“Were what?” Canton demands.

“With Agent Jones until he died,” Melinda answers, “You two helped raise Coulson.”

“We were his neighbors,” Canton shrugs, “We put him in touch with the Williams when he need a more stable home.”

“Which you didn’t have to do,” Melinda points out.

“You never met the kid’s grandmother,” Canton disagrees, “She made me look sweet and nice. When she kicked Phil out we…helping him seemed the right thing to do at the time.”

Canton frowns, eyes going back to Phil, taking in how still he is. Canton sighs unhappily and presses one of Phil’s hands between his wrinkled ones.

“It will always have been the right thing to do,” Melinda tells him. Canton needs to know this and Clint needs to lose the horrified look on his face.

Canton stares at Phil for another moment before he nods his head, “Yes, you’re right. Giving him a home, a sense of family was one of the best things Gabe and I did. I worry about having introduced him to SHIELD, but he loves it, centered his life around the family he found there.”

“And we want him back,” Clint puts in, “Only Fury is worried we’ll give this away and the he’ll let himself be stuck in this bed while we scramble for answers.”

“The idea to keep him busy while this is solved makes sense,” Melinda nods.

“We should’ve anticipated he’d hand pick a new family and call it a team,” Canton shakes his head.

Clint nods. Melinda presses her lips together and looks away. She takes a slow breath, then takes in Clint’s worried look, then Canton’s expected look.

“You just made it impossible for me to say no,” she points out.

“You can,” Clint reminds her, “We’d understand. This is hard.”

Melinda sighs, “I like my desk, it’s safe. I leave and they’ll dredge up that old nickname you gave me and throw me into danger as it comes along.”

Clint takes her glare with an easy shrug, “I was happy to see you. How was I to know it’d stick?”

Melinda rolls her eyes.

“You miss it,” Canton huffs, “You tell yourself you don’t, but then you’re desperate to go back, even when the rumors give you pause.”

“Could’ve joined us,” Clint reminds.

“Gabe was SHIELD. I was FBI,” Canton shrugs, “It’s how we kept things separated.”

“I don’t want to miss it,” Melinda glares.

“But you do,” Canton tells her, understanding in his tone.

“I do,” she admits, “and it’s Phil.”

“Did you come here to convince yourself or have us convince you?” Canton asks.

“Maybe a bit of both,” Melinda admits as Canton takes her hand. She gives his hand a squeeze and nods wondering what consequences her decision will bring.


End file.
